


that look in your eyes

by thesorrowoflizards



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: (also alec is giving him nice things), 5+1 Things, Alec Lightwood Loves Magnus Bane, BAMF Magnus Bane, Cuddling, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Fluff, I DONT MAKE THE RULES, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Magnus Bane Loves Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane's Cat Eyes, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Oneshot, Short, Trans Magnus Bane (although its not a huge focus), [brian david gilbert voice] FUCK canon., alec LOVING his boyfriend and his boyfriend's eyes, alec makes magnus so fucking happy?, and alec is nice things., and discussions of sex although we're not showin any, and vice versa, but hes trans sorry haters!, fluff. did i mention fluff, i guess super light angst but not really, i guess this isnt canon compliant but like., i mean hes always bamf but u kno, idk how i feel about this i wrote most of it in an hour but its fine i just want cute shit guys, its rated mature bc #5 features nudity, its what he deserves!, its what they deserve., just fluff. so much fluff, loving all these existing tags tbh, small amounts of insecure magnus, they love each other so much :'), towards the end, why did i say "we"? i don't know. royal we?, written in like an hour bc i just....this is cute, yes ragnor is alive no i will not explain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:35:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24447415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesorrowoflizards/pseuds/thesorrowoflizards
Summary: 5 times Alec saw Magnus's cat eyes and assumed that the huge pupils were the default setting, and 1 time he realized otherwise.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Raphael Santiago, Magnus Bane & Raphael Santiago, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, but it's just them talking about magnus lkjfghfgh, mentions of immortal squad!, technically also:
Comments: 37
Kudos: 487
Collections: Valid Trans Magnus Fics (With a Focus on Spicy)





	that look in your eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the Magnus Bane Lovebotting Server](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=the+Magnus+Bane+Lovebotting+Server).



> guys they love each other so much. oh my gofd.s im so emo
> 
>  **warning:** so the chest of a transmasc person is referred to as tits bc the author, whomst is transmasc, is personally comfy with it. if ur not, of it triggers ur dysphoria, then u can either skip #5 or this fic entirely! sorry :(

1.

The first time Alec saw Magnus's cat eyes, his pupils actually weren't blown up, but Alec wasn't really thinking about that.

He was mostly thinking _oh my god, he looks so beautiful,_ and then registering that this was something Magnus was genuinely worried about, causing him to switch to comforting mode rather than thinking any further on the specifics of how gorgeous they were and the exact shape of the pupils and the shade of gold they were.

He would have plenty of time to stare lovingly into them later, after all, and he could memorize every part of them then.

For now, he was there to cup Magnus's face and kiss him and tell him how beautiful he was. 

(He would later learn that, if one were to apply how cat eyes work to Magnus's warlock mark, narrow pupils usually meant arousal. So. That was cool. But later, not yet.)

2\. 

Magnus wore the glamour less and less when they were alone, although he still didn't have it down all the time. 

That was alright with Alec--he loved both Magnus's brown eyes and his cat eyes, and he wanted Magnus to do whatever made him the most comfortable. 

He noticed, though, when they were cuddling on the couch with Magnus curled up half in his lap, leaned back against his chest, Alec playing with his hair, that the gold part of the eye was actually pretty thin. His pupils were big, taking up most of the color.

While it was a gorgeous color, he also managed to both look stunningly pretty and _incredibly_ cute, looking up at Alec with those big eyes and his soft unstyled hair flopping in front of his face a little.

Alec smiled, stroking his hand through Magnus's hair and watching him melt as Alec's fingertips dragged across his scalp. His eyes slowly closed, until he was totally relaxed and beginning to doze off in Alec's lap.

God, he was precious.

3\. 

Alec was beginning to notice a pattern. When Magnus's eyes were unglamoured, the pupils were usually large, but they sometimes got narrower when he was... happy?

Yeah, that seemed right. 

He didn't consciously look for it or anything, but it was something he'd noticed.

So when he brought Magnus flowers and his pupils immediately got much larger and his smile turned soft and small, in a way that it often did when he was surprised and sincere, Alec vaguely wondered if he was doing something wrong. Did the flowers _not_ make Magnus happy? Or was he reading far too much into this? He'd smiled, after all, and Alec wasn't always great at reading people but he knew Magnus pretty damn well. He wasn't faking that smile. 

Magnus thanked him in that soft, sincere, almost bewildered voice, like he always did when Alec gave him gifts (and Alec was going to _keep_ giving him gifts until he stopped looking _surprised,_ damn it, and then he was going to _keep_ giving him things because he _deserved it)_ and it didn't seem out of place.

But once he'd put them in a vase and turned back to Alec and kissed him, his eyes had seemed narrow again, so maybe... delayed reaction? 

And then he wasn't really thinking about it, because he was too busy kissing Magnus.

Ravishing him really required Alec's full attention.

4\. 

It wasn't often that Magnus was unglamoured when they weren't alone, even in their apartment. But his closest friends were the obvious exception to the rule, and while it took a while for him to be fully comfortable with it (not out of any mistrust or fear of rejection from either his friends or Alec, but because he simply wasn't used to being vulnerable around so many people at once, let alone between what felt like the two conflicting worlds of his adopted family and Alec) eventually he was comfortable with no glamour at all, lounging in Alec's lap and talking to his friends, feeling the comforting warmth of Alec at his back the whole time. 

Since Alec becoming immortal, there'd been a lot of time for Magnus's friends to adjust to their relationship (and they mostly approved, because no one could deny how happy he made Magnus, or how ridiculously in love they were), but they weren't particularly close to him yet.

So Alec didn't talk much these nights--it was more Magnus's thing with his own friends, although Alec did listen and occasionally speak up, he mostly just held Magnus and played with his hair and occasionally exchanged pointed banter with Ragnor. 

Every time he talked to Alec or looked up at him with those big eyes, more dark pupil than shining gold, Alec's heart melted a little. He was gorgeous. 

He was beautiful glamour or not, but his eyes were particularly pretty, and moments like this, he almost looked _adorable._

(He didn't notice Catarina's thoughtful almost-frown, looking between them, not did he hear Dot and Ragnor teasing Magnus when Alec went to get him some tea.)

5\. 

When they were in bed together, Alec pinning him down and kissing him gently, Magnus usually had his eyes unglamoured. And they were usually soft and golden with narrow slits, staring up at him with adoration and love and _want._

But like this--once they'd finished, and it was just soft kissing and touching, Magnus warm under his hands--he looked much softer. His smile was a little lopsided and his head tilted, his pupils blown to swallow up most of that beautiful gold. 

Soft and warm and beautiful.

It was remarkable how a man so powerful and muscular managed to look so soft and kissable and _cute._

Alec leaned down to kiss him again, feeling Magnus sigh happily. Alec's hands explored Magnus's chest, big palms cupping his small tits, thumbs brushing over his nipples, making Magnus melt under him.

He kissed Magnus for what felt like hours, touching him, feeling Magnus's hands at his sides as they just enjoyed the moment. 

After a while he pulled away, smiling at the little noise Magnus made at the loss, and sat up a little, straddling Magnus's lap and looking down at him. 

Those soft golden eyes, pupils blown. His unmistakably relaxed body language and soft, pleased expression. His messy hair, ruffled and devoid of product and begging for Alec to drag his fingers through. He was completely naked, starkly contrasted against the dark red sheets, all muscles and soft lines. Strong arms and lean muscle, his small tits and long legs.

He had dark hickeys littering his neck and shoulders and chest, which--okay, sue him, Alec _really_ liked. 

Magnus looked... so beautiful. Happy, relaxed, and just... soft.

He smiled up at Alec, those big pupils still blown as he blinked slowly, happily.

"Something wrong?" Magnus murmured, and there was just so much _love_ in his voice, his eyes, and Alec smiled back, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. 

"No," he said, "You just look beautiful, as always." 

+1

Of Magnus's adopted family, Raphael was probably the one who liked Alec the least.

Catarina didn't seem to mind his presence and definitely approved of their relationship (she had helped him come up with a way to become immortal, after all), Ragnor enjoyed poking fun at both of them, and Dot was wary but overall happy for Magnus. 

Raphael was content glaring at Alec from across the room or rolling his eyes when he spoke.

He didn't actually seem to disapprove of their relationship (although Alec wouldn't have really blamed him) so Alec didn't really mind. He was more than entitled the low opinion. 

Which was why he was a little surprised when Raphael was the one who initiated conversation.

Magnus was fast asleep in Alec's lap, Catarina and Dot had gone home, and Ragnor was snoring in the armchair. Alec had just been stroking Magnus's hair, putting off the inevitable. He was going to have to move eventually--either wake Magnus up or carry him to bed--but he didn't really want to. 

"I still hate you," Raphael said.

Maybe Alec wasn't that surprised.

But before he could even reply--

"But you make Magnus happy. Anyone could see that, with the way his eyes always do... that around you. So I'm willing to put up with you." He pulled a face. "Even if it is forever. So... truce."

He pointed at Alec. "But if you stop making him happy and hurt him, I'm going to kick your ass and no immortality is going to save you." 

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Alec said. "Truce."

Wasn't really much to "truce" really--Alec had known Raphael cared about Magnus's happiness more than he disliked Alec. But he was glad to know that he did know that Alec loved Magnus, and it never hurt to have someone else confirm Magnus really was happy with him. He deserved happiness.

Then Alec thought about Raphael's words for a moment.

"Wait, what do you mean 'his eyes do _that'?"_ He asked.

Raphael blinked at him, deadpan stare clearly saying _you are an idiot._

"His warlock mark," he said slowly. "His cat eyes."

He said this like Alec should see what he was getting at.

Alec did not see what he was getting at.

Raphael rolled his eyes. "Seriously? They're _cat eyes,_ Lightwood. His pupils get big when he's happy. And when he's with you, they're always like that. Do you not pay attention at all?" 

He didn't really say it like a criticism, but there might have been a little bit of judgement there. 

"I thought they were always like that," Alec said a little dumbly. "I didn't... _really?"_

Raphael's expression did something funny. "You've never seen them... not like that?"

"I mean, sure, a few times," Alec said, "But it was the exception, not the rule. They always look beautiful, I didn't... I don't know, I wasn't focused on that." Sure, he'd spend hours staring into Magnus's beautiful eyes and he'd probably memorized the color and he loved how warm and soft they were, but he hadn't thought much about the pupils being large instead of the stereotypical slits you see in most cats. They were gorgeous as they were, and he just... hadn't thought of it.

Raphael, who, unbeknownst to Alec, was thinking of how rare it had been to see Magnus's eyes out in the open before this, during those long years after Camille--let alone with the blown pupils, stared at him. 

"You make him happy," he repeated. 

Alec looked down at Magnus, realizing he'd still been stroking his fingers through his fiancé's hair without thinking about it. He felt... warm. 

Magnus was happy. He was really happy.

"Good," he said.

(He would be asking Magnus about this later, and maybe reading up a little on cat eyes. Their wedding day Magnus had his cat eyes out, shining and golden, the pupils blown, and no one could deny how in love they were.)

**Author's Note:**

> this whole thing started on the magnus server
> 
> also i just....magnus....so Powerful...muscular....also so Soft and prety......we stan
> 
> and like ldkjghfgfgh  
> alec: hey magnus :)  
> magnus's pupils: FWOOM  
> magnus: hey **:** )
> 
> #3 and the +1 were tothetrashwhereibelong's idea check them out on [tumblr](https://tothetrashwhereibelong.tumblr.com/) and [ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tothetrashwhereibelong/pseuds/tothetrashwhereibelong) cos they're talented as hell


End file.
